The Passion Test: Have You Found Your True Calling 86

I think that whatever it is we’re doing with our time, it must be done with passion. Otherwise, it’s just wasted energy.

That’s because passion makes it all meaningful, creates results, helps us do our best, makes the world a better place.
If you aren’t passionate about something, you’d better not do it at all and move onto something else.

But not everyone is lucky enough to have found what he loves doing.

After all, it means finding the one activity that makes you lose track of time and which you’d love to do for the rest of your life, while at the same time there are hundreds of thousands of other stuff fighting for your attention.
It’s as hard as finding your soul mate – meeting the one person that’s the right fit for you among billions of others.

In a world of possibilities like ours, we’re too distracted. There’s too much information, notifications from every corner of the room require our time and focus, and there’s something new coming out every minute – be it a book, a new way of making money, game, art, application, technology, etc.

And often we tend to do many things at once, or to just jump from one interest to another hoping to find our calling.

But the ones who’ve truly found it aren’t many.
Let’s see if you’re one of them.

The Passion Test

Take what you think may be your passion and answer the following questions with it in mind:

1. Have you been interested in it for years?

The answer should be: yes.

If opposite: If it’s a new thing, it’s more likely that it’s just a fad and will go away soon. But don’t lose hope as every day is a chance to find what you love doing and decide to follow it.

2. Do you lose track of time when doing this activity for a few hours, and in the end instead of feeling tired, you’re full of energy?

Should be: yes.

If opposite: If you’ve never actually dedicated a few hours in a row in one day to what you consider your passion, then maybe it’s not what you love doing, but something you just enjoy a lot. Think about that.

3. Can you imagine doing it every day for 5 hours? And would you be happy living this way?

Should be: Yes!!!

If opposite: Your true calling must be something you’d love to be doing for the rest of your life. In fact, whenever you can. And that should not bring any boredom or mediocrity into your life but enthusiasm and joy, as it’s the one activity in this world that makes you feel alive.

4. Is there another thing you find as interesting and would love to be doing as often as you can?

Should be: no.

If opposite: Then you’ve got 2 or more interests. And if you can’t really say which one you love doing the most, then you’re not sure about any of them.
If one of them was your real passion in life, you’d be certain about it.
But you can still make one of these your calling, if that’s what you want. It doesn’t need to be all natural, you can push things a little. But you’ll need to dedicate your whole time to it and focus all your energy and attention to one thing.

5. If you had to choose just one thing of all your hobbies, interests and leisure activities, knowing you won’t be allowed to even think of any other, would it be that one?

Should be: yes

If opposite: Then you’ve got other things that are as important. Which means this one isn’t your priority. And if it’s your passion, you’d put it above everything else you could be doing with your time (not talking about family, of course).

6. Do you find yourself smiling and feeling more energetic and excited when speaking about it, or even thinking of doing it?

7. Have you ever thought that it’s something you’re born to do, does it feel like you’re on the right path when you do something connected with that activity?

Should be: yes.

If opposite: Most often true passion comes from the inside. And even if you don’t know what it is, when you see someone else doing it, hear something about it or just random ideas pop up in your head and you have action steps, then it’s the thing you’re supposed to do calling you.
If you don’t have any of these signs, then you haven’t found it. But it’s never too late. Keep trying stuff.

8. Would you skip a night’s sleep in order to stay up and do what you love (considering that inspiration hit you, or you’re working all day every day and don’t have any other time to dedicate to it), even though you’ve got stuff to do early tomorrow?

Should be: yes.

If opposite: You may just be responsible and insist on getting your rest so that you can be in your best shape tomorrow. But it may also mean there’s nothing important you’re working on and are passionate about.
Because if there was, you’d give all your free time and energy to it. And with the right amount of work and after some time, your regular job can be replaced for your passion.

9. Is it something you’re good or excel easily at?

Should be: yes.

If opposite: That’s not a must. You may suck at what you’re passionate about too. We all start somewhere. So don’t let that stop you from getting better.
But most often when something’s your true calling, you find out that you already possess some talent, and don’t have a hard time leveling up.

10. Can you say that making a career out of it and doing it all the time while offering value to the world is your dream?

Should be: yes!

If opposite: Forget about it, then. It’s just an interest, a temporary thing. And you can have many of these, but nothing big will come out of them.
If it’s your passion, though, if it’s your deepest desire, your mission, calling, sole purpose and absolute favorite thing to be doing, then you’ll have a dream like that.

***
So what’s the result?

It’s okay if you just found out that you don’t really have a passion.

Many people underestimate what that really is as they dream about certain things every now and then but are not ready to dedicate the necessary amount of time, willpower and effort, and are definitely not ready to work harder than they can imagine.

Because that’s the real face of passion. And that’s how you turn it into your career and eventually have the chance to do it for the rest of your life, while enjoying every moment of it and inspiring others or leaving a mark.

It all requires an unbelievable amount of work, though. And it’s not for everyone.

Writers write all the time. Not just every day. Not just a few hours per day. All the time. That’s what they do, that’s who they are.
Entrepreneurs spend their free time brainstorming ideas, communicating with other like-minded people and discussing projects, meeting clients, starting new businesses, etc. And that’s only the time when they aren’t doing the actual work.

But guess what? They love every second of it.

Because having found and followed your passion means that it’s also your entertainment, it’s your work time and your free time. And you’re happy about it.

So what’s yours? And how do you define passion?Do you think we’re fine without it and just a few hobbies can make our life interesting and meaningful enough?

For you, it could be building a company, getting promoted at work, generating wealth, or more humble ambitions, such as being the best parent or partner. While success looks different to each person, we all have an innate desire to achieve.

No matter how you define success as an individual, here are some habits you can adopt to become more successful in everyday life.

1. Be Focused.

There are distractions all around us, from social media and smartphones to friends and family. While everyone needs some ‘me time,’ to be successful, you also need focus. As such, cut out distractions and set aside time to work towards your goal.

Remember: There is always something productive you can do.

2. Aim to Learn.

It can be easy to get hung up results but being successful is about more than the outcome. The key to being truly successful is about learning. This allows you to grow and adapt, changing your approach and leading to improvements. As such, make learning a goal. This will also help to keep you motivated, too.

3. Be Prepared.

Being prepared is essential to increase the chance of success. This can be applied to almost any situation. Whether you are expecting your first baby, have an upcoming exam or interview, or are considering CFD trading, all require research and preparation.

4. Stop the Excuses.

When something goes wrong, it can be easy to dig your head in the sand, but this is not a habit of a successful person. Instead, take responsibility. Stop your excuses, work on your weaknesses and make improvements. The onus is on you to be successful so step up, set challenges and drive yourself forward.

5. Be Happy.

You may be focussed on earning more money, or you may have a goal to buy a flash car. But if you’re working a job you cannot stand, putting in too many hours and sacrificing time with the ones you love, you could quickly start to feel miserable.

6. Feel Grateful.

Success is often less about material possessions or goals than it is about changing our perceptions.

This is why it is important to start recognizing the good things around you. Recognise and feel grateful for what you already have and you will soon feel very successful indeed.

7. Start Failing.

This may seem counterintuitive, but failure is a big part of success. It helps to highlight the things we do not want and essentially provides clarity. A little failure never hurt anyone. After all, no one has ever become successful without first experiencing failure.

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